A Normal Girl?
by ShadowPrayers
Summary: What would happen if Max was just a normal girl? What would the Flock's life be like? Is fate satisfied with a wingless Max? The world of the School collides with this 'ordinary' girl's life. R&R Please! Same Pairings! T for paranoia. F M
1. Chapter 1: Ordinary Max

**What if Max never ended up at The School? Is fate unsatisfied with a wingless Max? What happens when the Flock and Erasers show up? Will Max fulfill her destiny? Same pairings. **

Max's POV

"Argh," I mumbled as my face made contact with the floor. My alarm clock began its daily round of BEEP! BEEP! "Shut up," I groaned, trying to disentangle myself from my bed sheets. It was a daily routine I'd developed. After I finally untangled myself from my blankets I jerked out the cord on my alarm clock. Ah, peace and quiet. I padded over to my bathroom and began to brush out my blonde hair. Once my hair was strapped into a secure ponytail I unearthed a hot pink tee, grey sweatshirt, pair of blue jeans, and pair of converse.

I went down the hall into the kitchen. Mom was humming to herself as she cooked some delicious bacon. Ella was whisking some liquid, maybe eggs or pancakes. "Morning," I mumbled sleepily, heading to set the kitchen table. I wasn't allowed anywhere near the kitchen on account of every food item I touched ended up burned whether you cooked it or not. Yes, I am that bad. After the food was ready we blessed it and I dug in. I always piled my plate full. Mom had become accustomed to cooking double what we actually needed. I ate nearly all the time and my body didn't even show it. I was skin and bones. After breakfast I ran and brushed my teeth before heading out to the bus stop with Ella. We chattered softly about this group of new kids at our school.

I was really shy while Ella was really outspoken. She got herself in loads of trouble, and I always had to get her out of it. I got on the bus, trying to remember a formula for science. Little did I know I'd be thinking about more than a science formula when I headed home that day.

* * *

><p>"The algebraic equation 6b+7ba…" Ms. Connie, my math teacher, began in her dull voice. It was third period, almost lunch. There was a knock at the door, and Ms. Connie glanced at it with an annoyed expression. "Come in," she said with exaggerated patience.<p>

Four people came into the room. There was a cute boy with dark hair, burning black eyes, and a pale, drawn face. He wore black jeans, a black shirt, and combat boots, but I could tell he wasn't Goth. His quiet manner didn't say 'I hate my life', it said, 'I'm shy.' There was a pale blonde haired guy with clouded blue eyes. He's blind, I noted as an afterthought. His jeans and shirt were slightly rumpled as if he came to school in what he'd slept in, but besides that he was fairly cute.

A mocha colored girl seemed to hang nervously next to the blind guy as if she were afraid of everything. Her curly black hair hung a little in her pretty chocolate eyes and her clothes were tasteful and cute. The last person who came in looked a little old to be going to our school. He was tall and heavily muscled. His brown hair and green eyes accented his appearance perfectly. In all he was drop dead gorgeous… if I were into that thing. I don't like guys that look too hot, there's just always something fake about them. This being said I immediately didn't like the last guy.

"We're the new kids," the last guy said confidently. It might have been a trick of my eye, but it seemed the other new kids flinched away from the speaker as he spoke. "I'm Jordan Gates," the gorgeous dude continued as if nothing had happened. I could tell that each girl's attention was focused on him. I made a point to look out the window with a bored expression on my face. I would not become a Barbie clone, falling for the shiny new toy.

"I'm Nick Clayton," the guy with black hair whispered quietly. My attention immediately focused on him.

"I'm Jeff Hayden," muttered the blind dude.

"I'm Monique Martin," the only girl whispered self-consciously.

"Monique, you can sit by Maximum…"

"Ms. Connie, it's Max," I barely spoke, but every head turned my way. I flushed deep red and looked down. I hardly ever talked in class and when I did everyone made a big deal of it.

"Max," Ms. Connie corrected herself. "You can sit by Max." The girl sat down beside me, head down as well. She assigned the other three a seat, and began to speak again.

"Do you need a notebook?" I asked as I noticed she wasn't taking notes.

"We've already covered this content," she whispered, "at my old school that is." I nodded and began to doodle. I drew wings onto a chibi me. Then I began to draw dark wings on a chibi Nick. I could just see his wings being black like an angel of darkness. I sighed; I was totally crushing on him. The bell rang and Ms. Connie hurriedly assigned us two pages of problems to solve by Monday. Ah, Friday's were good and bad, ther was more homework yet two days of freedom. Monique stayed close to my side as I hurried to lunch.

"Is this your lunch shift too?" I asked her lowly. She nodded.

"Can I sit by you?"

"Sure, I sit alone usually," I told her, wondering what else to say. I normally only talked to my sister this much. Monique seemed comfortable with our silence though so I didn't interrupt it. I went through the line, easily filling my tray. Monique filled hers as well. I paid for my food and went to my normal booth at the back of the cafeteria. There was a huge window beside it, but no one usually sat back there because it was out of the way of the usual crowd. Monique followed uncertainly. I prayed quietly and began to eat. My mom said I always ate like I was half-starved. Sometimes I wondered if I was. It sure felt like it.

Monique sat across from me and began to shovel her food as if it were her last meal. I was halfway through my second chicken sandwich when Jordan headed towards the booth. Monique eyed him warily, moving over so he could sit down. "Hey Max," he said amiably. There were only two reasons why a guy would talk to me.

"You ain't getting any money and I ain't going to be your girlfriend, is that clear?" I asked sharply.

"Oh, feisty, can't I just try to be friends?" he asked teasingly.

"Why would you want to be friends with me?" I inquired softly.

"Because you're pretty and shy," he smiled softly.

"Thank you," I whispered, shoving the rest of my sandwich in my mouth. I didn't know what else to say and Monique looked like she was about to run away sprinting. "Monique, are you okay?" I asked with concern. I got up and patted her back. It was strangely lumpy.

She jerked from my touch as if I had shocked her. I sat back down, hurt. "What, what are you doing this weekend?" Monique stuttered nervously, obviously trying to change the conversation. I let her.

"A whole bunch of nothing," I smiled softly.

"Why don't we go for a hike…?" Jordan suggested.

"No!" Monique yelled. "I mean, I don't like hiking…" she whispered as Jordan glared at her.

"Oh, we can go grab some ice cream down at Izzy's Ice Cream, best ice cream in town," I suggested, feeling myself opening up to her more. Her strange behavior was making me like her more as strange as it seems.

"Sure," Jordan interjected, "We'd all love to. It's on me."

"Seriously dude? That'd be great. I gotta stop by my mom's work on the way though. I'll meet you out front after school, kay?" I said, getting up. "I gotta run I have tutoring until next period! I'm gonna be late!" I hurried away, worried I was already late.

**You like? Max will begin to get Maxier as time goes on. I mean at first she's all shy, but then she gets feisty and funny. You've already seen a bit of her feistiness! Read and review please!**


	2. 2: Izzy's Ice Cream :D

**Second Chapter! YAY! Wal-Mart- is that where they make walls? Paris Hilton. BTW Jordan is 15, Max, Fang, and Iggy are 13, Nudge is 11, Gazzy is 7, and Angel is 5. **

**Max POV**

I lugged my backpack down the hall, eager to meet up with Monique and Jordan. I rounded the corner and found not two, but six people milling around the front. In addition to Monique and Jordan there was Nick and Jeff plus a little girl and boy. The little girl had curly blonde ringlets and big adorable blue eyes. The little boy had unruly blonde hair and mischievous blue eyes.

"This is Krystal and that's Corey," Jordan pointed out. "They're siblings, Corey obviously eldest."

"Cool, I'm Max," I smiled at them. Krystal returned my smile with a thousand watt beam. She reminded me of a little angel. She skipped ahead as we walked down the sidewalk, humming a rhyme I'd never heard before. Monique, Nick, and Jeff seemed to be distancing themselves from Krystal, warily watching her as if she were the big bad wolf. Strange, strange. I turned into my mom's work, and they followed, Krystal backtracking. The little bell dinged as we walked in my mom's veterinary clinic.

"Hey, Larisa," I waved at one of the assistants as she walked by. "Mom in?"

"Valencia! Squirt's here!" Larissa called, heading towards the supply closet. My mom came out of one of the many check up rooms, smiling. It seemed everyone but Jordan and Krystal stiffened as Mom came up to us in her white coat.

"Hey, Max, who's your friends?" Mom asked, hugging me. I listed them off and she smiled at them. "Well, I'm Valencia, Max's mom!" she gave an eager Krystal a hug.

"We're heading towards Izzy's," I informed her.

"Well, I'll see you later honey, don't stay out too late. Here's ten bucks?"

"Mom, you always worry," I laughed.

"Well, if I didn't I wouldn't be your mom," she reminded me, giving me a light kiss before heading back to the checkup room. "Love ya!"

"Back at ya!" I called, exiting the clinic. Krystal skipped ahead, smiling with happiness. Jordan followed after her, shaking with laughter as she did a little somersault. I liked her energy, she was cute. Nick, Jeff, and Monique were murmuring quietly to each other, dawdling behind me. Corey tried to hang back and listen to them, but they all abruptly stopped whispering and picked up the pace. I felt a warm tingle on my cheeks, wondering if they'd noticed I'd been trying to eavesdrop as well. I speed walked up to Krystal and listened to her mindless chatter about anything and everything, hoping they hadn't noticed my attempt to eavesdrop. It was rude, but hey curiosity killed the cat.

"Homework's easy! I love Ms. Tally, she's my homeroom this year. I used to be home schooled by my mom, but I like real school better. I hope we get to stay for a while. My dad died in a car crash when I was younger. I don't even remember it," she said sadly. I frowned tenderly, feeling my heart give a little squeeze. She was fatherless, just like me. "What's your dad like? I bet your dad's nice and…"

"Honey," I interrupted softly.

"Yes?" she asked me, blue eyes wide with innocence.

"I don't have a daddy either."

"Really?" she inquired. "Where's you're daddy?"

"Can you keep a secret?" I asked, lowering my voice to a whisper. She nodded mutely, curiosity burning in her bright blue eyes. "My dad walked out on me and my mom when I was two years old." I tried to blink the tears out of my eyes. Thankfully, Izzy's appeared as we rounded the last corner.

I went into the fifties designed diner. Black and white tiles covered the floors and advertisements covered the bright walls. Coke: 5 cents. Ice Cream and a Coke: 15 cents. Man, I'd kill for prices like that. Krystal slid onto one of the moving red bar seats, swirling it around absentmindedly as she looked at the ice cream selection. Monique chose one beside Krystal, Nick climbed up beside Monique, Corey clambered after Nick, Jeff followed Corey, and Jordan took the seat after Jeff. I filled the very last bar stool at the bar, right… beside… Jordan. It was hard to say he wasn't cute. I struggled to regulate my breathing and smiled at the familiar waitress.

"Hey, Jo-Beth! How're the kids?"

"Good! Little Suzie wants you to baby-sit her next weekend, do you have the time?"

"I'll have to check, and give you a call when I get home, is that alright?" I asked politely.

"Of course! Of course!" Jo-Beth grinned at me and asked, "the usual?"

"Sure, and add four sides of fries today, please."

"Course, what will you have?" she turned to Jordan.

"What's good here?" he drawled, gazing at me.

"Well, the fries are sublime…" I began.

"Give me whatever Max is having…"

"You sure?" she asked, giving him the look one would give a mental person.

"Yes, it's all on me too," he added as an afterthought. The other kids ordered, and Jo-Beth went into the kitchen looking at them like they had lost it. My food came out first. Four fries, two root beer floats, and three bacon burgers.

"Wow," Corey whistled. "You gonna eat all that?"

"Of course," I huffed, offended. "Can't a girl eat without getting stared at?" He looked away, flushing a little. Jordan smiled and reached over to ruffle Corey's blonde hair.

"Don't be too mad, Corey's just… Corey," Jordan said affectionately. "That _**is **_a lot for a girl to eat."

I stuck my tongue out at him and ate every bite just to prove him wrong. After we were all done Jordan laughed and whistled through his teeth. "Well, I guess I was wrong. A girl can eat like that!" His plate was still halfway filled. The other kids had finished off even more than me. I was almost surprised. Almost.

We walked out of the diner, laughing and horsing around. Corey leapt onto my back, legs swinging wildly. I giggled and pulled him over my shoulder, tousling his hair affectionately as I hung him upside down. He roared with laughter as he slipped out of my hands and scrambled away. Man, i wished he was my brother. I wanted a little brother I could roughouse with. Not many know this, but i'm a tomboy at heart. I'm also a pretty darn good runner.

We drifted up the street, trying to procrastinate having to go home and inevitably do homework. I let out a raucous scream as Iggy mischieviously jabbed me in the side, getting many dirty looks from fellow pedestrians. That made everyone else burst out into raucous laughter. Red with laughter and embarrassment I glanced around self-consciously. My eyes met a pair of familiar grey/blue ones framed by the same wire rimmed glasses. Crap.

**OOO! CLIFFIE! GO S.P GO S.P! You must know who it is! You must! ****J**** Please R&R like always. I appreciate comments and reviews good or bad. Bad reviews help me be a better writer! Good reviews encourage me to keep writing! Comments give me feed back, and ideas are always welcome. If you have an idea for the story or for another story you'd like to read please tell me! Thanks! **


	3. 3: Never trust a Father or Waitress!

**=]Chapter Tres! ****J**** One review but that's okay! I'll keep writing for that one viewer until I get more! God bless! 9/11, remeber that day forever! Any questions? Comment and I can answer them! S.P. **

My dad was standing across the street, staring straight at us. The only reason I was able to identify him was because I'd obsessed over the few pictures I had of my dad when I was seven. I'd literally memorized every freckle on his skin, every likeness he had to me.

Let me tell you, he hadn't really changed in the thirteen years he'd been gone. He shared my blonde hair, fair skin, and slender nose. He obviously hadn't been gifted with much of a metabolism (and his middle age years were coming on… fast), but he bore no sign of wrinkles yet.

"Max, what's wrong?" Krystal asked, skipping backwards. I flushed as I realized I'd stopped, and openly gawked at my 'father'.

"Nothing," I said evenly, acting as if nothing was wrong. Corey looked in the direction I had been and sighed with resignation. I tried to start walking again, but Corey stopped me.

"Hey Dad!" Corey called out, waving for Jeb, _**my **_dad, to come over. So he'd been busy since he'd left me and mom… really busy. I looked down and bit my lip, afraid I'd start screaming and/or crying.

"This is Jordan, Nick, Jeff, and my adoptive Dad…" Monique began. I knew she was going to say his name next. I had one second of wild hope that she'd call him something different, but it was quickly squashed. "Jeb Bachelor. Dad, this is Max Martinez."

"Strange name," Jeb commented lightly.

"My mom and dad originally agreed on Maxima," I lightly hinted.

"Interesting," he murmured again, carefully keeping any hint of recognition out of his eyes. I could tell he knew who I was though. He'd known since I said Martinez.

"So Krystal and Corey are yours?" I asked, seemingly innocently.

"Yep," he said absently as he seemed to be trying to memorize every feature of me. I couldn't contain it anymore; I had to let the accusations go.

"Seems you've been pretty busy since I was three," I snapped.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, obviously playing dumb. Realization hit little Krystal's eyes, and I smiled grimly.

"_Daddy,_" I said the word with so much contempt, so much venom, even I felt a shudder of fear roll through me. "How could you not know your own daughter?"

"Maxima, I never meant to hurt you. I had to leave for your own good."

"No, my name isn't 'Maxima', it is Max. Plus, you left for _**your**_ own good. So you could hook up with another woman!" I whispered fiercely.

"I didn't… I loved your…" he murmured. I turned away, feeling tears clasp my heart, pushing their way through the anger. I desperately clung to the anger, trying to prevent warm tears from staining my cheeks red. I stormed down the street, ignoring my dad and friend's calls. I went down so many different streets; I don't even remember all of their names.

Somehow I ended up in a part of town I'd never been in hopelessly lost. I slipped down a cold, dark alleyway, attempting to find somewhere to hunker down for the night. I tugged my silver jacket tighter around my chest, trying to retain some of my body heat. I wandered farther away from the comfort of the light busy streets until the lights from cars and streetlights were completely obliterated.

My eyes were slow to adjust to the lack of light, so I stuck my hands out to feel what was in front of me. My hands suddenly collided with a wall that felt like brick. I chose a dark dry corner as my bed. The shadows of boxes and crates gave me the sudden idea to pull them around my already dark corner. Surely, no one would notice the huddled form of a girl in complete darkness surrounded by crates. Plus, the crates blocked the cold wind that had started up in earnest. I sighed, and lay down on the hard ground. Tonight would be a long night.

* * *

><p>I don't think I got very much sleep. I lay awake for hours, trying to keep warm, feeling the still present anger ripple through me. I knew that a wall was starting to build up around my heart, but I tried to ignore that fact. Betrayal and heartbreak were too freshly imprinted on my heart. I think I finally drifted off because I awoke to the caress of sunlight on my face.<p>

I stretched and climbed to my feet, yawning. Rocks were embedded into my cheek, hands, and arms. I brushed them off as best I could. My stomach grumbled annoyingly. It was pretty hard to ignore. I dug in my backpack and found the change of clothes I always packed for gym. I didn't feel like going home though I knew my mom must be worried sick. Those kids had been bad influences on me. I really didn't care.

I quickly changed into the fresher clothes and brushed the snarled mess of my hair. It hardly looked like I'd slept on the ground. I found the ten bucks, crumpled up in my other jean pockets, and thanked everything that Jordan had paid for my food last night. I wandered out of the alley and began walking. I had no set destination, I just needed to walk. A little white kitten ran out in front of me. It looked up at me with big blue eyes and mewed softly.

"Come here," I whispered gently, lifting a hesitant hand towards it. I surely didn't want the kitten to be run over, eaten by another animal, or starved to death. It was almost like me. Wandering, alone, lost. The kitten cautiously approached my outstretched hand, suspicion bright in it's eyes. The kitten sniffed my hand delicately then tenderly licked it with her rough pink tongue.

I reached out to softly pet her, but the kitten took off down the street. I stood up, watching her run away sadly. The ball of white fur stopped about twenty five feet away and looked impatiently at me as if she were waiting for me to follow. I jogged down the street, trying to catch up with her. My stomach ached for just a sliver of something to eat.

We went a couple of blocks before she paused in front of a home that on second glance was just a small diner. Diner=food. Food=happy stomach. Looking at the Diner made me hungrier than I already was. Charlotte's Diner was posted on the door, reassuring me that this was in fact a diner. I ducked in, the kitten quickly at my heels, feeling my stomach rumble again. A couple people my age or a bit older sat at each of the booths, chattering softly.

"Hello!" a woman with red poofy hair smiled at me. "Oh, Snow! Did you bring another stray with you?" the woman sighed at the kitten, laughing a little. Dang it! The kitten had an owner after all. "I was worried sick you know. Well, welcome to Charlotte's darling! Our special today is coffee, donuts, sausage, and a platter of pancakes a buck fifty. However many pancakes ya want, four donuts, and three sausage links. Please take a seat," she gestured to the open diner, "and I'll have whatever you want to drink out in a jiff."

"I'll take some coffee," I murmured softly. My voice felt rough from yelling and screaming so much last night.

"Kay, take a seat, and it'll be out in a few!" she beamed, loping away. I stifled a yawn and glanced for an unoccupied booth. None, nodda, zip. There was a table without chairs in the center of the room. A couple of the kids had pulled the chairs up to the other booths so they could all eat together.

I saw some tables with only three kids in them, but I didn't want to intrude. It'd be awkward anyways. I sighed, stomach gurgling in revulsion to the idea of leaving. I was about to turn when I realized every person in the room was staring at me. I didn't turn violet, though. I was past caring. 'Feed me! Feed me!' my tummy screamed.

"Hey, you can sit right here!" someone said. I turned to see a hot-as-fire boy in his mid-teens, a petite red head girl in her early teens, and a tall blonde girl in her late teens sitting at a corner booth. I almost ran I was so hungry and hopeful. I restricted my pace to a gentle walking speed though. Snow was right on my heels, mewing softly as I slid in beside the red head.

"Thanks," I said, giving a rye smile. Snow leapt neatly into my lap and began to purr.

"Snow usually doesn't take kindly to strangers," the red head commented.

"So you come here often?" I murmured, petting the kitten.

"Yeah, you could almost say we live here. I mean we meet here everyday!" the blonde smiled. "Oh, how rude of us, we never told you our names! I'm Topaz!" It made sense because her eyes were the precise color of Topaz.

"I'm Hazel!" said the petite red head. Her eyes were a pretty hazel.

"I'm Slate," the boy answered. His grey eyes were the color of dark slate. They were nearly mesmerizing, not as mesmerizing as Jordan's sleek eyes though… or Nick's.

"Here's your coffee!" the waitress beamed. "I'm Charlotte, and I'll be waiting on you. What can I get you?"

"You're special: five pancakes, six sausages, and five donuts. I'll pay the excess."

"Okay," she smiled as if I hadn't ordered way over my weight. "It'll be out in ten minutes."

"Thanks ma'am," I smiled, and glanced back at the group I was sitting with. Hazel launched into a heated discussion with Topaz over which guy's butt was cuter. Hazel thought the guy two booths over, Topaz thought Slate's.

"So ya'll are together?" I asked.

"Yep, going on a year, right Slate honey?" Topaz purred, kissing him tenderly.

"Yep, a year of he…" Topaz gave him a dirty look, "heaven! Yeah, _that _was what I was going to say," he mock whispered to me, a small smile on his face. Topaz gave him a playful shove and they got into a cute shove war.

Finally, my food came out. I thanked her profusely as I thought a small prayer. I dug into my food like I was a starved animal. I was almost finished with my last pancake when a little bell tingled. I looked up to see two tall, heavily muscled men in black walking into the diner.

One of the men was blonde with deep blue eyes that looked like they were ready to kill. A scar marred half of his face and he seemed almost wolfish. The other was so stunning with his silky brown hair and perfect body he could've been a model. Their eyes made contact with mine and I felt a shudder run up my spine. Charlotte came out and began animatedly talking to the men.

"I want the sausage!" Topaz yelled.

"I want it! I deserve it more!" returned Hazel.

"No, I should get it since I'm the only male!" fought Slate.

"How about this?" I interrupted their fight over the single piece of sausage on my plate. "Since it's _my_ sausage and _I'm _**not **fighting over it, I get it," I suggested, swiping it from my plate and shoving it into my mouth.

"Aw, dangit! Charlotte, can we have a plate of sausages? I'll pay for it!"

"Fine, Slate," Charlotte didn't smile as the men followed her towards our table. A sinking feeling was in the pit of my stomach as the men came closer. They were very intimidating and every step they took towards me made my heart race just a tiny bit faster.

"Can we speak with you?" the supermodel asked, his deep voice vibrating across the room. I looked at him as if to say, 'I'm listening.' "In private," he coughed uncomfortably. Everyone in the room had fallen silent and my table mates were looking at me with a smidge of fear now.

I only had a few seconds and only one chance to run. I got up like I was going to follow them. Snow hissed in protest. I didn't know who they were, and I wasn't about to trust two random men. They could want to rape me or kill me or something!

"Come on," the supermodel insisted, opening the door for me. I sprinted out the door in one fluid movement. This was my one chance. I had to get it right.

**I hope you liked it. As always please review! I love reviews they encourage me to write. A tribute to all who died on 9/11. We thank you for your bravery! I'm praying for all the people who lost loved ones on 9/11. As Alan Jackson says **_"Faith, Hope, and Love are some good things He gave us, but the greatest is Love!" _


	4. Chapter 4: Sedative

**On a role here! Chapter 4! ****J R&R PLEASE! This is my last chapter until I can get one more review. I just need one! Please!**

My sandals almost immediately came off as I sprinted down the uninhabited sidewalk. My bare feet steadily slapped against the concrete, making them sore, but I didn't slow. This was a life and death situation, strangely my first. The sound of pursuit made my heart race as I tried to run faster. The sidewalk and streets were completely empty, void of any innocent bystanders that would gladly call for help.

I glanced at the buildings, hoping for an open business. The entire strip was for sale. Just my luck. Two sets of sneakers pounded steadily on the concrete, seconds away from me. I swerved randomly into the street, but somehow the men had anticipated this. The scarred one grabbed me from behind, quickly tugging my hands behind my back. The supermodel slipped a blindfold over my eyes. Ari swung me up bridal style, making sure my arms were still securely behind my back.

I struggled against his strong grip, uttering curses in every language I knew. English, Spanish, French, and a bit of German. I tried twisting my arms so they'd come free of his iron grip. A small pop made me cry out in agony. It felt like I'd just dislocated my shoulder. "Quiet her down and be gentler," the supermodel's deep voice rumbled. "They'll be mad if she's hurt too bad, you know that. I'm not getting punished for what you do Ari!"

"It's hard to be gentle when she's squirming! I don't have anything to keep her qui…" the Ari dude stopped speaking. I whimpered softly as he released my arms. My right one burned with agony as it draped limply over my torso. I tried to keep completely still, afraid to make it hurt worse. There was no use in screaming, there was no one around to hear it. "Hello, Angel, what're you doing here?" the Ari dude asked softly, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Help," I whispered halfheartedly, unable to see the person named 'Angel'. They completely ignored me.

"Just making my rounds," a sweet voice I'd know from anywhere whispered chirpily.

"Krystal!" I hissed as I twisted towards her, the movement jerking my dislocated shoulder.

"Max!" Krystal gasped. "Ari, put her down now!" her tiny voice echoed throughout wherever we were, furious and demanding.

"But Charlotte and Jordan said…"

"Ari, she can't be! She isn't mutated!"

"Jeb said the subject wouldn't have any _visible _mutations," supermodel dude interrupted.

"I can't de…"

"We can at least take her to the lab, to fix her arm if anything else," Ari said roughly obviously angry that he was being told he was wrong about whatever it was he was wrong about. I felt him begin to move again and I hissed as my arm was jolted again. At least Krystal was here. At least Krystal was here. The thought calmed me a little, but not much. I mean, how was sweet little Krystal associated/acquainted with my kidnappers? My mind didn't linger on that specific question for long.

The sound of Ari's steady breathing and the sound of his sneakers slapping against the pavement was soothing despite the circumstances. Unfortunately, the silence gave me an awful long time to dredge up the worst possible thoughts. Where were they taking me? What was going to happen to me? Were they going to kill me? Why was Krystal so comfortable with the fact that these men obviously had a live person tied up? These questions and more haunted me with each step they took.

My dislocated shoulder burned as he broke out into a gentle jog. I almost whimpered, but bit my lip to keep it from escaping. I'd end up screaming and pissing them off if I made the slightest sound. I felt a yawn creep up on me, though the pain was still there. It was becoming more familiar, and finally exhaustion took me to a place where even my subconscious couldn't bother me.

* * *

><p>I felt something jostle me, and I awoke with a start. A woman in a white coat was wrapping white tape around my dislocated shoulder that felt relocated. '<em>They must've done it while I was asleep,' <em>I thought fuzzily. The familiar smell of cleanliness and antiseptic filled my nostrils, telling me this was a hospital or something like it. I began to sit up, but the woman pushed me firmly down. "Don't move," she barked. The severity of her voice made me flinch and I did as she said.

Krystal wandered into the room, a beautiful smile on her face. "Hi, Max! You took a pretty hard fall!"

"Fall?" I asked through a yawn. "I didn't fall Krystal. That Ari dude kid…"

"Who's Ari?" she asked knitting her eyebrows together in confusion, "Never mind. You fell on the sidewalk at school, don't you remember?" she asked earnestly. I knew for a fact that I hadn't fallen, but I had really been kidnapped? Could that just been a dream? I shook my head fiercely, trying to clear it.

"Stay still!" the woman nearly shouted and I cringed away from the woman. A tall man came into the room. He wore a white coat and his blonde hair was smoothly combed back. He was probably the doctor, and the mean lady was his nurse. He had a light in his blue eyes as if he had the best new ever. Krystal frowned slightly, blonde eyebrows knitting together with disbelief.

"Is Subject 54B ready for testing?" he asked, his voice upbeat. He turned to Krystal, "Angel, it's probably best you go somewhere away from the testing area."

"Yes sir," she whispered with the respect one would give their elders.

"Hello, sir," I whispered with the same respect level as Krystal/Angel retreated from the room.

"Hello, come along with me…" he motioned for me to get up and follow him.

"It's probably best if you either sedate her or give her a little more time to heal," the lady advised, preventing me from getting up.

"We don't have time, Margret. The Director has been looking for this subject for years! Years!" the man practically shouted.

"Okay, the sedative it is…" she murmured, rolling her eyes. "Now hold very still," she rocked back on her heels and pulled a wickedly sharp needle from her lab coat. I sprung up so rapidly, she blinked in shock. I swiftly backed away from her. The only problem was that there was a freaking corner behind me. Girl + needle= bad. Girl + escape= good. I did the math in my head and vaulted over the lady in a series of flips. The only problem with my plan was that I'd momentarily forgotten about the man.

He jabbed me with his own stupid needle, but the sedative was slow. He tried to grab me and I kneed him in the groin. He keeled over, groaning with pain. The woman crept behind me and jabbed me with her own stupid freaking needle. The combination of sedatives made me dizzy and drowsy. It was all I could do to stay on my feet. One more jab and I'd be in the clouds. Even without another shot I knew that it wouldn't be long before I collapsed and succumbed to the drugs working their way through my body.

The man cast me a dirty look. Everything was weaving in and out of focus. Objects refused to stay still. The woman looked as if she was trying hard not to laugh. Smirking, she easily took up my swaying form… I couldn't hold on any longer. As I let go everything went black.

Burning. Stinging. Throbbing. Every part of my body ached. There wasn't one inch of my five foot six that wasn't in pain. I heard a bloodcurdling shriek of agony and realized it was coming from me. "Hush her up!" a man hissed. "I don't want the Director on our ****! I wouldn't have any problem with it being awake, but the Director's direct orders were to _sedate_ it!"

"Sedatives don't last ten hours George," another voice retorted. Then the blackness mercifully descended upon me, and I drifted away.

_Third Person's POV_

The Whitecoats worked steadily over the body of the girl. Her lids were closed with the peacefulness of sleep, though seconds ago it had been otherwise. A man quickly and efficiently took several vials and slipped their contents into a shot. The resulting color was a strange violet. The man grimly walked towards the girl. Two men watched the heart monitor with extreme vigilance, shock paddles at the ready. A woman held another shot filled with green liquid, ready to administer it immediately after the man.

He held up his fingers. Three. Two. One. He injected it into the crook of her elbow and the woman immediately followed. Precision and timing was key now. One false move and the girl was dead. One mistake and it was all over. Their careers. Their lives. The monitor drew out a blank line, and the two men with shock paddles waited. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Fifteen seconds. Still no sign of life. Twenty seconds. Thirty seconds. The men charged the paddles and pressed them hard against her lifeless body. It jerked a little with the power, but the monitor was still one flat line.

They typed in a few more volts of electricity on the machine, sweat breaking out on their brows. The Director would kill them literally if the girl was dead. They rubbed the paddles together, and applied the charge. She'd been lifeless for fifty seconds now. The body still had no response. They added as many volts as possible. There was no time to play around. She'd been unresponsive for a minute and ten seconds. The body lifted off of the table with the pure force of the paddle. Everyone held their breaths, waiting.

A small beep came from the heart monitor. A collective sigh of relief passed through the room. Especially from the man who had administered the violet concoction. Her heart beat was weak, but it was still there. The body wasn't used to this, but it didn't have to be. It was time to move on to the next phase. Time was something they were running out of.

**Dun, dun, dun. Is Max gonna die. What of Angel? I disclaim everything except Max's new found personality and every character that is mine! I rule the world! OH YA! Gaze upon me and tremble! **


	5. Chapter 5: Slap!

**New chapter. Oh, maybe winged Max is not so far in the future! Hope you like! ;) Thanks Okami-G, Bird That Flies At Dawn, and Me444 for the well aprecciated reviews! :)**

"Is it awake?" a feminine voice came out of the darkness.

"No." was the steady reply. This voice probably belonged to a large man as it was deep. "The vitals are good, but we can't be sure when it'll awaken. That last dose was pretty strong." I felt the urge to get up and run. He would be too shocked to do anything immediately. I'd have time to get out… but where would I go? I wasn't even sure where I was exactly. I twitched my wrist and found it tied down. I yanked against the bindings irritably, trying to make them loosen. I felt a gasp escape my lips as the bindings sliced through a layer of my skin.

"It is now," a voice that was way too familiar for comfort murmured. My eyes flew open and I found myself gazing up at a bright light. I shut my eyes immediately, unable to look and see if my ears had been correct. "I'm going to get the Director. She probably wants to see it."

"I wish you'd stop calling me it," I said to no one in particular as I heard a door softly swing shut. "I_** am **_female." Someone laughed dryly at my comment, the woman I think. I felt slim fingers deftly loosen my bindings, but I made no movement to depart where I laid. I just wanted to go back to sleep, and hope I'd imagined the too familiar voice.

"Go on and get up," the deep voiced man rumbled. It frightened me enough that I did directly as I was told. I gave the man who had spoken and the woman beside him a look that could kill. I'd never seen them before, but they had on white coats. My mind was making the connection. These people were here to cause me pain. I had a sudden recollection of the burning pain I'd experienced and backed away from the people in white coats. That was a good name for them… Whitecoats.

I couldn't differentiate most of them anyways. Calling each of them Whitecoat was simpler. My back collided with the cold cement of a white wall. I kept my back against the wall, glaring to hide my fear until a woman in a dark blue business suit came into the room. Her heels clicked against the floor with sharp clarity that made me want to cringe. I couldn't show any signs of weakness in front of this woman. I had to show how much I loathed her. I had to show how close I was to hating her even if Christians weren't supposed to hate.

I gave her my fiercest glare, and curled my hands into fists as she came closer. "Calm down Max. I'm not your enemy," she whispered calmly, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Insert Choice Word Here!" I hissed. "That's why I felt burning agony from your employees _**after**_ they _sedated _me. That's why one of _**your**_ cronies _dislocated _my shoulder!" I kept my voice calm, betraying no emotion. Her brow creased, green eyes looking perfectly innocent.

"We're not the enemy, Max."

"If you weren't my enemy you'd let me go."

"It's not that easy, Max. You're mother agreed… then…" she shook her head as if it were too hard for a child to comprehend.

"No, I want to hear this," I couldn't help the ounce of anger that leaked out of my voice. I knew my eyes were glazed over with hatred. I was past caring. My careful façade had cracked.

"Max, I don't want you to hate your parents."

"Hmm, my dumb*** father is already much hated thank you. My mother is near impossible to hate, so give me your best," I challenged.

"I warned you," she advised me. "My name is Anne Walker. Your mom and I were best friends in college, roommates studying the same subject. Hybrids. Ah, such a fascinating subject. Reptilian hybrids. Lupine Hybrids. Even… Avian Hybrids. Of course, back then such things were thought of as grotesque, inhuman. There was never a known experiment that had been successful. Valencia, Jeb, and I joined an association that was working to make such a thing possible. Needless to say the last year of college our attempts at crossing animals became a success. About a week after we graduated college the association took a turn from creating animal hybrids. They began to use human test subjects. Valencia decided that she wanted out. She wanted to heal, not create," Anne paused, "or destroy. So I aided her in becoming a veterinarian. I got her out of here with hardly any trouble.

"The association thrived off of the idea of human hybrids. It grew so much that it was turned into a facility. We had to set up pretenses and accumulate money so testing was stalled for a few months. During that time the scientists tried to find the best way to make a human hybrid. After some trial and errors we found that inserting animal DNA into a live fetus was the simplest and safest way to create a hybrid. Unfortunately, such things were illegal, and willing future mothers were very hard to come by. I won't go into the details, but we began to create replicas. These replicas were how we discovered that lupine hybrids survived. They weren't preferable though as they had short life spans…" a pang flew to my heart. How could she just talk about this stuff like these weren't human kids dying. "Needless to say we needed another option. We began to use all sorts of DNA. Avian seemed the most likely to work as birds share many components of a human.

"So, naturally, I went to your mother. She was already pregnant with you, of course, and I needed a favor. Your father immediately objected, but your mother owed me. She allowed me to attempt the experiment on you, but when you were born your mother and father hid you from us, hid you well…"

"Well, your experiment failed. I'm not a hybrid," I pointed out.

"You haven't heard it all Maxima. Hmm, such a clever name from your father. You were the first successful hybrid of your kind, and reach past the maximum of our standards.." she said to herself. I opened my mouth to object, but she put a hand up. "No, I'm not finished yet. You see, there's the complication of the hybrids being born in a hospital with ignorant doctors. If a baby is born with strange mutations at a regular old hospital… you can see how that would go. So, I concocted a plan where the DNA would be activated by a mixture of chemicals. Right when we got the baby we could inject the shots, activate the DNA, and everything would be fine."

"So, you're saying I'm a recombinant experiment with some mutation," I said slowly, a hysterical laugh escaped my throat. That couldn't be true. Someone had to have been paid off to say that exact line. You must know that anger and hysteria do not make a very good combination. I was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Calm down, Max. Yes, you are a Avian-Human Hybrid. The first of your kind, and very powerful. Unlike the rest you are five percent avian and 95 percent human. The others are two percent avian and ninety eight percent human."

"What's the difference?"

"You'll find out in a few hours, maybe a day…" she whistled softly.

"And you did this to me?" I asked warily, acting resigned.

"Yes," she said with a proud smile. That's when I uncurled my fist and literally slapped the smile off her face.

**Oh yeah! GOOOOO MAX! It's your brithday! Read and review :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Cannibal Cages

**Wow, I just looked at the stats page and realized how many people have read at least a bit of my story. Had no idea that many people liked it. Thanks! ;) **

I felt cold all over. My eyes snapped open as a shiver ran up and down my spine. The small room I lay in was barely big enough for me to stretch out fully in. There were no doors or windows on the walls, and claustrophobia filled me. My stomach rumbled loudly, just adding to my worsening predicament. I decided to calculate each problem and try to resolve it.

First and foremost, what was today's date? As I didn't know how long I'd been passed out I couldn't tell if it was still Saturday or long past. I recalled the Whitecoats restraining me after I slapped the woman then the familiar pinprick of that stupid needle put me straight to sleep. I assumed they'd either exchanged drugs or raised the dosage of the original drug for the shot had been more effective than before.

This was basically way too hard to calculate so I moved on to the next question as my stomach rumbled. Where was I and how worried was my mom? Still an unanswerable question. I guess each question I truly had was indecipherable. That didn't stop me from wanting to ask them though. I eventually got up and began to feel along the walls, searching for a crack, a crevice, something! There was nothing though, and eventually I gave up. I sank to the ground in defeat. I didn't know if minutes or hours had passed, but the harsh lights eventually dimmed to a perpetual twilight. I took this as a sign that it was night. I whispered a small prayer. My stomach still complained to me as I hunkered down on the frigid floor and tried to get some sleep. As if it was possible.

_Three days later…_

I was to the point where I was about to start gnawing my fingers off if I didn't get food soon. Plus, it might sate some of the boredom. I mean I was near insanity from just sitting here doing nothing. I couldn't stand being locked up in tiny places. It looked like either fate was screwing me or my karma was finally biting me in the butt. "Oh God please aid me," I whispered softly, my voice rough from misuse. As if I had said the magic words a door began to materialize. It swung open with a tiny swoosh! I thought that I couldn't be surprised anymore. As is proven right now, I am mostly wrong.

Jordan walked into the compact area with a small tray. It had half a bottle of water on it and a miniscule chunk of bread. To me it looked like heaven. I slowly climbed to my feet, having to use the wall for support. I was too weak to stand on my own. I shakily took the water and downed it hastily. My stomach almost rebuked the introduction to liquid again, almost. I shoved the molded piece of bread into my mouth ravenously, looking at Jordan as if he had more.

Why was he here? I wondered as a side thought. My stomach growled for more food, taking my mind off the subject. "Hello, Max," Jordan tried to force a smile. "You look like crap."

"Well, I feel like crap," I spat. He was the enemy. Anyone I saw in the facility was the enemy… even Krystal/Angel. That brought on a moment of melancholy, but I jerked it to the back of my mind. He was the key to food right now… Even if I had to go crazy ape and start chewing off his fingers. Surely that would sate my hunger and anger at the same time.

"Max, things work a lot differently around here. You obey the scientist and you get rewarded."

"And what if I don't?" I challenged, imagining attacking him and chewing on his fingers. The image was so funny I nearly burst out laughing.

"Well, then you get punished," he smiled sadistically, sending an invisible shudder up my spine. "Sometimes it's just this," he gestured to the miniscule room, "sometimes it is worse."

"Oh, really?" my voice came out harsh and sarcastic. It was ruined by my stomach gurgling loudly, crying for food.

"With your attitude you'll learn soon enough. I thought you'd be more compliant…" he muttered to himself.

"Well, you thought wrong," I replied snarkily.

"Obviously," he returned. "C'mon, your time is up," he gestured for me to follow him. I sighed with resignation; following Jordan beat this claustrophobic room. I trailed after him, looking for an exit. "Oh, no you don't," Jordan said casually, still facing forward. It was like he knew I was searching for the opportunity to make a run for it. "Get by my side."

I let out an exaggerated breath, stomach still grumbling. "I'm starving."

"Well, you shouldn't have slapped the Director," he retorted.

"I'm sorry if she's one of the reasons my life is ruined!" I snapped. He just shrugged as if it were moot point and stopped abruptly. He opened a door and led me through room after room, deeper into the facility. Panic clasped my heart as we passed rooms with metal tables and sharp instruments that appeared as if they could cause some serious harm. Then we went through a room with rows upon rows of cages and dog crates.

Inhuman things were in each cage or crate, looking at me with big sad eyes. I looked to the other side in revulsion and pity, trying to ignore the misshapen creatures. That was worse though. There were larger cages on that side, holding _human _children. Some of the metal cages were as tall as me.

A girl with long black hair sat upright, looking at me with wide blue eyes. She wore a pretty white nightgown that was almost the color of her pale skin. Something was folded neatly against her back. I could've sworn they were wings.

An empty cage sat in between the girl and… Monique! Monique lay in a cage, eyes closed in the peace of sleep. I knew who the empty cage was meant for before Jordan opened it. "No," I said vehemently, staring straight into his eyes boldly.

"I've already warned you," he said amiably as if I were merely commenting on the weather. "Get in the cage."

"Like heck I will!"

"Get in the cage," I could hear the warning in his voice. It frightened me, but I tried one last time to hold my ground.

"I'm not getting in that cage. I'd rather die."

"Well, that can't be arranged currently. They need you alive. If you be good maybe you're living conditions will be upgraded. Now be a darling and get in the cage. This is the last time I'm telling you," his voice deepened into a snarl.

"Okay," I said sweetly. He looked surprised that I'd given in. I began to get into the cage, but twisted around at the last second. I kneed him in the groin and leapt into the safety of the cage. Jordan's face turned beet red with rage and he cried out with pain. I grinned with satisfaction as he slammed the cage door closed and twisted a padlock on it. No matter what he said I'd had the last laugh.

A few Whitecoats ran into the room, brows creased with must've been a sight, me grinning wildly behind bars while Jordan was doubled over, cursing to himself. "Jordan, what happened?"

"Max," he growled furiously, as if that explained it. They chuckled, putting two and two together.

"She's vicious. All we need is a little control and DNA implemented and we've got what we need," one of the Whitecoats commented. One of them rewarded me with a sandwich and apple while the other slid two bottles of water through the slender bars. Heck, I wanted to kick Jordan's nuts again.

"What was that for? She just kicked me!" Jordan yelled in outrage.

"Yes, she needs to be vicious," one responded.

"But now every time I see her she'll want to kick me there!"

"Get some protection, learn to fight," they shrugged. "I believe it's time to leave Jordan." They guided an enraged Jordan out of the room and the door closed with an ominous clank. Great.

**Hey! Cliffy! Dun, dun, dun! **


	7. Chapter 7: Tricks

**Okay, I rewrote chapter 7 because it sucked (in my opinion) so here it is. I am so happy about my seven reviews. Thanks! I luv u guys that review. Here's my disclaimer: Do I even look like a middle aged man? Didn't think so... **

I sat on the cold cage floor, pondering my situation. Though my situation was just as unpleasant as before -kicking Jordan in the balls had considerably increased my mood. I couldn't keep the smile from my face. It was just **so** darn funny imagining the look on Jordan's face when the Whitecoats had rewarded me. Oh, the next chance I got I was going to stick it to as many of them as was possible. Teach them to mess with me.

The pretty black haired girl interrupted my thoughts all of the sudden. "What are you doing here, anyways?" she asked her blue eyes earnest. Her voice was soft and lyrical- it soothed my nerves. An alarm went off in the back of my brain.

"I honestly don't know," I murmured tensely.

"Well, we're all in this together," she smiled gently. "I'm Mercy."

"Max," I responded. Her name was really pretty. _No, Max. You can't trust her!_ I yelled to myself.

"I heard that you haven't ever been to any of the Itex branches," she whispered, eyes burning with curiosity.

"No, have you?" I replied.

Even more curiosity registered in her blue eyes, "Yes, no one has ever come from the outside," she explained. Suddenly, a door whooshed closed somewhere behind the dog crates. "Pretend you're asleep," she hissed. I didn't have to be told more than once. Who knows what they would do to me.

I slipped onto the cold metallic floor of my cage. I forced my eyelids to lightly close in the peace of sleep. I drew in deep, even breaths, betraying nothing. I'd learned this tactic when I was younger and my mom had made me go to bed inhumanely early.

There was the sound of sneakers on tile and wheels sliding across the floor. A cage door banged open near me, jolting about every cage, including my own. This caused me to slide into the bars of the cage with a thump, ruining my perfectly composed façade. I groaned softly, and pushed myself into a sitting position. Mercy was still limp with false sleep. Great, I was going to be targeted now.

A Whitecoat with curly brown hair and geek glasses was putting a limp boy in a cage a few down from mine. The boy had to only be around four or five with hollow cheeks and disheveled blond hair. It was so blonde it almost appeared white under the fluorescent lighting. A bit of blood stained his cheeks and his shirt. I hoped he'd be alright.

The cage door shut with a nearly inaudible click, and the Whitecoat jotted something down on a notepad. He ventured toward me and I prayed fiercely, 'Not Monique or Mercy.' Who does he stop in front of? Little Miss Luck of course. Man, karma was just really hitting me up today.

"I know all about you," he said with a humorless chuckle. "Be good, and they may go easy on ya."

"I'll stay in my cage!" I said with a fake yawn. "I need to catch up on some sleep." He reached into his coat pocket, and I knew exactly what he was going to produce.

"NO!" I yelped loudly, causing Monique to flinch in her sleep. "I'll walk," I stuttered, eyeing him fearfully.

"And how do I know you won't turn on me?" he asked with a smirk.

"Because you have a stupid sedative on you that could easily knock me out in minutes if not seconds," I recited like a little school girl. Under my breath I added, "But I could still kick your butt to China."

He pointedly ignored that. He unlocked the cage and I eagerly clambered from it. My legs popped as I stretched them and followed him down the hall trying to get the lay of the land. "Oh, no you don't," he said lightly as he noticed I was eyeing an exit sign. He directed me past the sign of freedom, and to an elevator. There was a fingerprint scanner and eye scanner.

Maybe the Director lady _**was**_ taking a step in the right direction. I mean she idiot proofed everything for _a reason_. The Whitecoat tugged me into the elevator with him. It was simply a metal box. No floor numbers lined the walls. Just a plain grey box.

My breathing hitched. Maybe this wasn't idiot proof. In that case, I wasn't staying. I moved to get out of the elevator, but the door closed. "I1-E98-7Y9," the Whitecoat recited crisply. The elevator burst into movement immediately. It shot down, making me yelp and nearly loose my balance. It jerked to a halt just as abruptly. He guided me out of the elevator, and down a white hall lined with white doors. At the end of the hall stood a pair of double doors, and I braced myself for the worst.

Through the doors was a… _'You're kidding me,' _I thought, bursting with laughter. This was an evil science, and _that _was the best they had? A meadow-like room lay in front of me. It was filled with herbal plants, trees, and flowers. A few stone benches were set up against the trees. A sun (real or atrificial?) shone down on the garden, and a light breeze toyed with ym hair. A few younger girls (around 7 or 8) were braiding flowers into wreaths to put in their hair and around their necks. Wow, this was low... even for the scientist.

I thought about it logically. There had to be a catch. When something was too good to be true there was a catch. So where was the catch? I waited, tensed for whatever the scientists shot at me. Nothing happened. "Behave," the Whitecoat said teasingly before closing the door. The girls looked up at me, eyes wide with curiosity.

"No another one," one of the girls groaned.

"I agree, I'm tired," another one sighed.

"Let's rest for a bit then. It won't make any difference," a little blonde girl suggested. They all nodded in agreement and set to their wreaths. I slowly walked around the meadow-like room/space and looked for a way out. Aside from the door there was no windows. Four white brick walls. I felt along each of them and realized there was a one-way window that took up roughly half the wall on the far end. I knew this because it felt like glassy rubber. I'd had an encounter with a one-way window on a school trip; it'd felt exactly like this. So they were watching me where they? Psychos. As I turned from the window a slow grin spread across my face; an idea blossoming in my mind. I slowly walked away from the one-way glass. I circled the room again then hid behind a tree.

I crept beside the window -just out of their viewpoint- and took a deep breath. Putting on a psycho-killer expression I leapt in front of the window and let out a bloodcurling cry. I heard a satisfying scream and thump followed by silence. They musn't have considered soundproofing. Sweet! I laughed so hard I almost cried.

Suddenly on of the little girls said sweetly, "It's time."

**Please review. This was written late at night and I'm tired. Fall Break. Hoot! Hoot! Sorry for not updating. Will do so more frequently this week. Please review! God loves you!**


	8. Chapter 8: A Death

**Okay, I got a little writers block so if yall have any ideas at all shoot them at me. Oh, thnaks for the feedback Hush Hush123. Um, this chapter is where they get their repsective names back. I really appreciate critisism. I beleive it's very constructive at times. Thank ya- S.P. **

That sounded like a death sentence. The little girl who'd spoken launched herself at me, a dagger suddenly appearing in her hand. Where'd that come from? I ran from her, but the little girls had circled around me. Each held a menacingly sharp weapon.

"That's unfair, I don't have anything to fight with," I complained.

"Life ain't fair," the little girl who wielded the dagger smirked. It was sickeningly evil, especially on a little girl. I backed closer to one of the girls at the outside of the circle. She hissed threateningly. I stumbled and fell back, head cracking against the concrete near the circle of girls. One kicked me lightly. She lowered her weapon, kneeling closer to see if I was alive. Lightning quick, I ripped the sharp object from her hands and leapt to my feet.

The little girl gave a cry of surprise and back away. The one who wielded the dagger smirked. "I'm not going to fight you," I whispered. Yet, I was advancing on her. I could see all the ways to kill her in my mind, and it revolted me. I had no control over my actions though. My will had been sapped from me. I struggled futilely against the invisible force. Then everything disappeared in a foggy haze. A haze I resisted even as it enveloped me.

* * *

><p>I was in a foggy place. Wisps of fog covered everything, making visibility impossible. I saw images float past me… inside the mist. I saw me as a little kid with Jeb, and a younger version of Monique, Nick, Jeff, Corey, and Krystal. Somehow I knew those weren't their real names. Then a picture of Monique with tawny wings floated by, suspended in the strange fog. The name Nudge labeled the bottom. A picture of Nick with midnight black wings followed. Fang was written at the bottom. A picture of Jeff with wings like a sea bird came quickly after Ni-Fang's. At the bottom of his photo it said Iggy.<p>

Corey's photo followed Iggy's. He had wings speckled like an owl's. At the base of the photo it said Gasman. That was a strange name. The girl who was once called Krystal pursued C-Gasman's. Her wings were pure white and Angel was written in loopy writing at the bottom of her photo. My own photo came next, but tanned wings speckled with brown protruded from my back. At the bottom of the photo it said "Maximum Ride". A funny feeling came into my gut.

Then a picture of me fighting those wolf things drifted by. Curiosity made me reach out to grab it. I went _through _the mist. A me stood in front of a wolf-man, face twisted with rage. Her hands were clasped around his ears, and her knee halfway to his groin. The word Eraser glided above the wolf-man. Suddenly, the scene unfroze, and the other me was fighting the Eraser fiercely. Nudge and Fang were near other-me, dealing with their own.

I saw Angel on the other side of him. Angel, the traitor, fighting an Eraser beside everyone else. Angel looked up suddenly, and stared straight at me. The Eraser got it's paws around her…. Then the mist clouded everything and I woke up.

* * *

><p>My shoulder blades were blazing with pain. I winced as I opened my eyes. I laid on a soft yet firm white floor. I weakly pushed myself into a sitting position, nearly crying out with the pain I felt in my shoulder blades. On the other side of where I sat was a Plexiglas window. You can guess who sat behind said window. I struggled to stand, a snarl building up in my throat.<p>

I stumbled towards them, fire burning in my eyes. I was about three steps away from the window when I bumped into something very solid. It was also very not there. An invisible wall. My knees gave out on me and I landed on the ground. Someone let out a bloodcurdling scream, too high and shrill to possibly be me. Yet it was. I felt the traitor tears leaking from my eyes. I cursed violently at the scientist, using every word I could think. Whether it was in English mattered not to me. They got the main context.

Too soon, the pain was too much to talk through. I satisfied myself by glowering at them. If looks could kill they'd all have been burnt to a crisp. I tried not to display the magnitude of the agony I felt, but it was really hard. It was like someone was slowly burning my back, but there were no flames. I had no doubt the burning agony would always be imprinted in my mind, not easily forgotten. I clumsily climbed to my feet as the pain became more bearable, and looked at the Whitecoats that had sat unmoving this whole time.

"You are all a bunch of _Insert Choice Word Here ('s)_!" I shrieked, and sat back down contentedly. They all got up and began to exit the room. When they were all gone I laid down and finally got some pain-free, dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>I awoke to the scent of food. "Mmm," I mumbled, inhaling deeply. My stomach rumbled painfully, and my eyes snapped open. A half a dozen sandwiches rested on a plate with a water bottle. I restrained myself from eating too quickly by taking slow, delicate bites of the sandwiches. If you hadn't eaten in a few days your stomach didn't react too well with food that went down too rapidly. After I'd eaten all my sandwiches and chugged all my water I decided to stretch.<p>

I then did my routine of push ups and sit ups. Just because I'd been kidnapped didn't mean I was going to let the body I'd spent a year working for go. A Whitecoat came into the room through a door behind the invisible wall. Ari and Jordan followed. They were actually gaining some intellect after all.

"Hiya!" I said with forceful enthusiasm. "What are you going to do today? Perhaps let me train that mutt of yours?" I asked, indicating Ari. He snarled and took a swing at me. I was safely behind the Plexiglas. "Or maybe you'll let me take a swing at Jordan again!" That got a good reaction from Jordan. The Whitecoat looked between us curiously, probably wondering what I'd done to Jordan.

"No, we are taking you to the gym today," the Whitecoat said.

"Oh, yippee! I can get shocked to death!" I said with fake happiness. The Whitecoat said something and a door materialized on the invisible wall. He scanned his fingerprint then motioned for one of the guys to grab me. I bit Jordan's arm… hard. "Don't touch me!" I screamed as he grabbed the scruff of my shirt.

"We need to put her in uniform," Jordan told the Whitecoat. "It'll be easier."

"The Director has to confirm that she's an official experiment, Jordan," the Whitecoat explained. "We don't know if the transaction worked or not."

"I think we need to cut the back of her shirt off to see," Jordan muttered.

"Pervert!" I shrieked.

"I'll show you…" Jordan began, but was cutoff by the Whitecoat as we entered the gym.

"Put her down," the Whitecoat ordered. Jordan sighed reluctantly and released the scruff of my shirt. "You will notice that there are no windows in here," he told me. I looked around at the cold, grey walls. The room was huge. "This room is backed up by thousands of pounds of steel and lead. It is completely sound proof, and virtually impossible to escape. Don't try anything funny. You will start on the treadmill, and work your way around in rotation. Ari, Jordan, you know where to start. Okay, all of you are dismissed."

They walked from the Whitecoat as if there was nothing to argue about. "I don't like that plan," I replied.

"Will you like it if we put a shock bracelet on you?" he asked coldly. He was completely serious. I felt a shudder of fear ripple through me, but did the single most stupidest thing I'd ever done. I held my ground.

I wasn't even aware of Jordan's presence until he'd tackled me to the ground. I kicked and struggled against Jordan's weight, but it was to no avail. I felt cold clasp of the metal against my skin. Crap, I was screwed. Jordan pushed himself off of me, and gave me a cruel smirk. The Whitecoat was just as unemotional as ever.

"Now, are you going to the treadmill?"

"Yes," I whispered and made my way to one. I ran for a while then there was a beep and everyone moved clockwise to the next station. This was pushups and sit-ups. Not the worst thing in the world. After that I got the pull-up station. Then I went to this station that looked like nothing I'd ever seen. There were a few boulders, mats, hurdles, and ledges were attached to the wall every few feet. The first ledge was just within my reach. I got a hold of it's rough edge and yanked myself onto it. I repeated this until I was at the very top. I didn't even notice until I looked down how high I actually was. Now, how was I going to get down?

I was content on resting up here, unnoticed by the world. I'd either starve to death or they'd notice me missing. This would probably lead to the Whitecoat getting his trusty rusty electrifier out. High ledge + shock bracelet = Charred Maxcake. Me don't want to be Maxcake, much less a _charred_ Maxcake. The other experiments seemed to notice me trembling on the highest ledge as the beep told them to change stations. They began whispering and pointing. Eventually, the Whitecoat asked what was going on. He saw me, ashen faced on the highest ledge and ran to get who knows who.

The Director came in, stern and irritated. "What's the meaning of this, Boyd?" she asked. "There's nothing…" she noticed me on the highest ledge. "What is she even doing in here?" the Director shrieked.

"Well, um, well…"

"My patience grows thin, Boyd. Spit. It. Out," The Director hissed.

"I thought it might be best to run her through the gym. You know…"

"No, I don't know. She can be a potential danger to the other experiments. She can breed the beginnings of a rebellion. Have you ever considered what it would be like to have a mutant riot?" the Director practically bit his head off. "Jordan, dispatch Boyd in the next room."

"Yes, ma'am," Jordan whispered, and dragged a shaking, white-faced Whitecoat from the room.

"Idiots," she muttered. "Have to do everything myself. Didn't even check…" she shook her head. "I need Mercy!" she snapped at Ari. He came back with Mercy. The Director spoke softly to her, and she nodded shakily. She unfurled ehr wings and flew up to me.

"Jump. I'll catch you," she murmured to me.

"No," I stuttered, fear pushing it's way through my system. The reality of it all was nearly too much to bear. Mercy landed on the ledge, and stepped behind me. I didn't have a clue what she was doing, but I trusted her too much.

"Sorry," she whispered before pushing me to my death.

**Click that button at the bottom and review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9: Life and Freedom!

**I'm so so so so so sorry for not posting sooner. I have had cheerleading (football season and here comes basketball!) and so so so much homework. I've been trying to catch up. Okay, ya'll you know the drill. Please read and review. Don't own characters or anything that is James Patterson's, etc. etc. Blah, blah, blah. BTW you'll get this kitty thing if you review! -^.^- **

**Third Person POV**

"Clear!" a man in a white coat yelled over the limp body. Two other men pressed shock paddles to the limp body of a girl. The Director stood nearby, anger burning bright in her eyes. The heart monitor whined softly as the men stood back. He charged the paddles again and repeated the action. The body thumped softly against the table.

"Higher voltage!" the Director ordered in a detached voice. The men shrugged and turned a knob on a machine. They pressed their paddles against the body. The body arched with the velocity of the voltage. There was no response. The subject was dead. After all that had happened the subject was dead. The Director felt the beginnings of fear in her stomach. When the Head discovered this they'd all be as dead as the subject.

The Director began planning her escape as a slight blip appeared on the heart monitor. A deep intake of breath followed that, and the Director sighed silently with relief. The other Whitecoats began to administer the necessary medicines that would keep her asleep while they repaired her fractured ribs and spine. Unknowingly, the subject had saved all of their lives…

"Ma'am, her heart rate is stable and her wing span is that of the other subjects. We have not seen any other effects of the excess avian DNA. She is fully healed, but hasn't awoken yet. What actions should we take from here?" a Whitecoat said nervously, standing near the Director's desk.

"I will contact the Head Director, and tell her of your observations," The Director said, tapping a pen lightly on her desk. "If all goes well we may implement stage two…"

**Max's POV**

I awoke with a start. It seemed like I would be forever doomed to awaken from near death experiences. It was quite depressing really. I sat up and hit my head on the bar that held the bed above me aloft. I slipped from the bed, rubbing my head tenderly. I was in a room lined with about a dozen bunk beds. Each was neatly made with dull grey sheets. I tidied the bed I'd been sleeping on, and saw that there was a clean white tank, denim cutoffs, and a pair of new 'New Balance' sneakers at the end of the bed. I eagerly changed out of the baggy tee I didn't even remember putting on.

My hair was strangely clean, and already in a neat ponytail. I wondered from the room, and down a pristine yet melancholy hall. I was in a part of the facility I'd never been in before. A robot-thing popped in front of me. "Maxima, follow me," it said in an expectant, electronic voice. That's when I realized I didn't have the shock bracelet on.

"No," I told it. In reply it's arm clasped around my wrist. It began to move forward, dragging me with it. "Alright, alright," I muttered, and it's pace slackened ever so slightly. Cautiously, it released it's grip on my wrist. I stooped down as if I were going to tie my shoes. It's arm shot out, ready to grasp mine. "I'm tying my shoelaces!" I reprimanded it. It backed away a little, satisfied. A commotion started down the hall. It appeared as if an experiment were resisting a Whitecoat… and succeeding.

The robot looked at me once more. "Stay here," it commanded, obviously trusting me waaay too much. It shot off down the hall, ready to rescue the Whitecoat. As soon as it was apparent the robot wouldn't be returning anytime soon I dashed the opposite way. I flew down a corner, barely slowing. I took a sharp turn into a stairwell. The clattering of boots against concrete came from below. I took the steps two at a time, using the shoes' grip to my advantage. I passed floor after floor until the sharp pain in my side became nearly unbearable. Suddenly, a door marked rooftop blocked my path. I tried it; locked. I busted the glass on a fire extinguisher. A little alarm began to ring, but I ignored it. I banged the door handle once, twice, three times. Finally, I broke it and dashed onto the roof. I skittered as my feet hit the ledge, and nearly fell from the precipice.

I glanced behind me, and saw men with BIG guns almost near me. I took a deep breath, contemplating my situation. So far my options were: A.) Become a Maxcake. B.) Become a Maxkabob. C.) Become SwissMax. None of them sounded appealing. Suddenly, I lost my footing and went wind milling towards the ground. Something flew out and painfully caught me when I was centimeters from the ground…. Wings. I. Had. Wings. I flapped them once and rose up, towering above the facility. It was HUGE. One of the men aimed their guns at me and I smiled coyly. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"Not today, suckers," I grinned, rising higher. I turned and began to fly away. The adrenaline was blocking the panic for now. The panic that I had wings. The panic that the lady ahdn't lied. A figure hurtled towards me swiftly. As it got closer I saw it was Nudge. A determined expression was set on her face. I was about to dart away when she huffed, "Wait… for… the… others… We're.. on… your… side…" Apprehensively, I waited as Fang, Iggy, Gazzy, and Angel-the traitor- hurled themselves into the air; Erasers and robots right at their tails.

"Fly!" Iggy shouted breathlessly, flapping as quickly as he could towards us. The robots were beginning to take to the air with the erasers hot on their heels. The lupine's had freaking wings. Oh, great. We were so screwed. Nudge drifted towards me and whispered in my ear.

"That might actually work," I whispered. "Tell the others."

"Angel already has," Nudge replied, and took off in a random direction. Iggy suddenly dove towards the ground, and disappeared in the trees. I swerved north while the others dispersed in random directions. We were going to lead them away from each other then go and meet at this diner near the facility. It would be the place they least expected runaways to go; right under their noses. I finally lost the robot and eraser that was tailing me and found the diner that was near the outskirts of forest.

I landed gently a couple feet into the forest, and tucked my wings against my back. As I slipped from the woods Nudge ran up to me and pitched me a jacket. "It'll help conceal your wings," she answered my unasked question. I slipped on the blue jean jacket and walked into the diner with her. Gazzy sat at a booth with Angel. Iggy and Fang walked in right behind us. We shuffled into a booth and stayed silent for a long time. Unconsciously, I took the role of leader as I said, "We need to get as far away from here as possible."

"Agreed," they all said.

"We need to get food and cash. Mobility obviously isn't a problem, but we'll need backpacks and blankets at the least. We need better shoes and different clothes so they can't recognize us… Anything I'm missing?"

"Hmm, we could use water canteens," Angel and Nudge chorused. "Jinx, double jinx, triple jinx," they laughed as they said it at the same time. I chuckled and sighed. "We need to get out of here, c'mon," I encouraged. Everyone got up and, like that, I was one of them. I was apart of their family of outcasts. We were different, and different meant we had to stick together. A dollar general lay beside the diner. Whoever's reading this, please don't think what I am about to do is okay. It is **very****, ****very****, ****very**wrong. Do **not** repeat this. I walked into the store and sneakily disabled the security camera. I ripped price tags off of six sturdy backpacks and slipped a bottle of water in each of said bags. I made sure the clerk wasn't looking as I put a bag of chips and a box of granola bars in each pack. I stuffed a blanket into each of them. We'd go to Goodwill to get the clothes; it was already conspicuous enough lugging around a bag as bulky as these. One at a time the kids waltzed in, grabbed a pack from the isle and left. No alarm went off. I carefully walked through the thing with my bag and the alarm beeped furiously.

I jerked and ran out the sliding door. The lady yelled at me as I dashed into the woods and took to the air. The kids were right behind me. "We need a saying so we know when to bolt."

"What about 'Up and Away'?" Gazzy suggested.

"Too obvious," Nudge responded.

"And cheesy," Iggy added.

"What about, 'U&A'?" the always silent Fang proposed softly.

"That just might work."

**Sorry for not updating in a while. I finally made them escape. Yall should be proud. I have alota things going on. Basketball season, cheer competition, finals, etc. etc. So I'll try to update as frequently as possible, but there's alota stuff on my plate and I don't have a lota of reviews… Basically, I'll try to update but there aren't any promises. I will not discontinue my story though…. **


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